Month: May 2017

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) inaugurated a total of 8,748 new flats on Thursday, May 18, 2017. These apartments were constructed in the Build-to-order (BTO), and the Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) scheme.

The BTO projects are six in number – one in Yishun, one Geylang, two in Bidadari, two in Woodlands, making it a total of 4,802 units. The price for a two-room Flexi flat in Woodlands ranges from S$73,000 to S$622,000; same applies to a 3Gen flat in Bidadari.

Woodlands residents are set to benefit from the formation of six “star attractions”, under new plans outlined by the HDB. Speaking at the launch of the Remaking Our Heartlands exhibition, Mr Lawrence Wong, the Minister of MND (Ministry of National Development) announced that the plans would revitalise the area, and would be in the form of both residential and recreational developments.

Singaporean couples concerned about the potential future value of their HDB flat are still in a good position, stressed Lawrence Wong, the National Development Minister, despite recent comments and debate – including one started by Mr Wong himself.

In a recent court case, the High Court concluded that a Singapore condo unit in Goodwood Residence which had been bought for a purpose of charity should not be subjected for, the Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty also known as ABSD. The High Court held that the amount of $986,965 along with the delayed charges paid during the last year should be fully retransferred back to the taxpayers.

The $6.6m worth unit that was bought by the charity “Chew How Teck” Charity foundation in the year 2015 was subjected to a 15% ABSD by the Commissioner of Stamp Duties. The primary objective of having cooling measures which include imposing ABSD on entities or foreigners who purchase a private residential property in Singapore was to control property values from the year 2011.

The Foundation

The charity was to trigger medical researching and financially assisting cases that encountered hardships. The foundation, founded by Mr. Chew Thong in the year 1994. On his death, according to his will, the property was let to use by his wife and eventually the ownership to be transferred to the charitable movement built with kind thoughts in his mind.

Property along Chee Hoon Avenue worth 22.8 million

In the year 2014, the High Court gave permission and authority to the executors of the will of Mr Chew to trade his property along Chee Hoon Avenue for a price of $22.8 mil and spend a portion of the money to purchase condominium unit at Goodwood Residence for Madam Zhao. The remainder would be used for charity purposes.

Even though Madam Zhao is a local and will not be subjected to a 15% ABSD, however the unit will be purchased in the name of the registered charity foundation.

In this case the trustees including the lawyer Joanna Yap Hui Min requested, appealed the High Court, challenging the decision of the Commissioner where ABSD is not required to be paid which was established with a clear charitable purpose.

Do note that if you are a Singapore Citizen and is looking to purchase your first residential property, you will not be affected by the ABSD. And to purchase a Singapore Condo at its most affordable price, consider getting a new launch directly from the developer. Below are our list of new launch condos whereby you can enjoy direct developer sales.

The outside of your home is something that few of us can change, but when it comes to the interior, that is where we can give free rein to our creativity and personality. Though fashions and styles change all the time, there are a handful of interior design themes that are always popular in Singapore. Here we look at what those styles are, what defines each style, and how to go about recreating them in your home.

Toa Payoh is the first satellite HDB town of Singapore that was built in 1964. It is one of the oldest towns which is to be transformed. After transformation, there will be plenty of flats. The town will contain 2 housing areas that will be public. The first site will be 10ha that is near the Caldecott MRT Station. The second will be 4ha in the Toa Payoh East near the Lian Shan Shuang Lin Monastery.

Moreover, the total number of flats is not decided yet. According to the analysts, the number of units that can fit in both the sites is 5,000. But this depends on the sizes of the flats. In present times, in Toa Payoh, there are almost 37,000 flats.

Singapore’s excellent public transport has always been ranked one of the best in the world. Despite being just a tiny red dot in the map, the Authorities have constantly make improvements to our transport infrastructure to ensure that residents enjoy the ultimate travelling experience.

The Braddell Flyover is one of the latest road connections that will be operating soon to ease the congestion along Braddell Road. in the About four years ago, the construction of the Braddell Flyover started however, it faced many delays.

According to many Singaporean government agencies, mechanisms have already been mapped to plan for, reduce, and monitor the noise levels.

Phase one of the project will gulp $300 million, and it will cover MRT tracks in 16 locations including Marsiling, Admiralty, Sembawang, Ang Mi Kio, Yew Tee, and Pioneer where 10km of noise barriers have been erected.

Earlier this month, the Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced a shift in the completion date of the project from 2019 to 2022 as a result of the decision of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to “review the effectiveness” of the first phase of the project.

When the second phase of the project begins in 2020, work on the installation of noise barriers for the remaining 10km will also begin.

A spokesperson for the LTA opined that the process of installing noise barriers demands a complicated and huge addition to existing railway structures because it also implies that they have to be mindful of railway maintenance works which would require a lot of space before it can be carried out and which may not always be feasible.

Coping with noise pollution.

Clementi, Bukit Timah, and Serangoon rank as one of the noisiest districts of Singapore. For this reason, at Anak Bukit Flyover and part of the West Coast Highway, noise barriers have also been erected at two expressway viaducts in continuation of the attempt to ascertain the efficacy of noise barriers.

Mixed reactions were recorded in the interviews conducted on the residents of these areas over the potency of the barriers.

Tan Liak Eng, a resident of Yew Tee, had high hopes and believed that the source of his nightmares was gone forever when he first saw the barriers installed on the MRT tracks next to his flat in 2015.

Right now, the barriers make no difference to the 61-year-old retail supervisor who has lived in Block 619, Choa Chu Kang North 7, for more than 15 years. He often shakes his head bitterly whenever he sees them. He believes the noise barriers are ineffective in curtailing the noise levels, and he asserts the noise levels are at their worst between 11 pm and 1 am when he should be asleep.

Currently, the LTA is actively searching for solutions that when used on roads, will lower the noise occasioned by the friction between vehicle tyres and road surfaces.

As these noise control measures are undergoing trials, other strategies to limit transport noise have been enforced.

Trains now have wheel noise-dampening devices. Also, the LTA has come down hard on vehicles with unauthorized modifications and that covers vehicles with modified exhausts. 1,161 of such cases occurred in 2016.

Furthermore, any construction firm that buys or leases noise control equipment, quieter construction equipment or applies any other revolutionary noise reduction solution will get half the cost or leasing price of such equipment from the $10 million co-funding Quieter Construction Fund provided the construction industry is yet to embrace such solutions fully.

In 2012, the NEA had introduced a no-work directive on Sundays and public holidays. The directive applies to constructive sites situated within 150m noise-sensitive premises such as hospitals and homes.

The NEA spokesperson revealed that since 2012 when the directive took effect, there had been a drop from the about 19,800 all-time high construction noise-related petitions to 10,400 in 2016.

Regarding private residential buildings, HDB flats, and homes, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has stated that such properties must comply with its development control parameters.

The intent of these rules is to curtail the nuisance of noise pollution by prescribing the design and placement of rooftop electric transformers, air-conditioning ledges, and water tanks to mention a few.

The URA has also directed that a “buffer distance” ranging from 7.5m to 30m wide must exist between buildings and the road; in the case of residences near roads and expressways.

You can find out more about the measures taken by both LTA & URA to reduce noise pollution in the neighbourhood via the link below,

Punggol or Ponggol, is a beautiful residential area in Singapore, located in the north-east region of the country, in the Tanjong Punggol peninsula. But this town didn’t look like this from the beginning of its times. It took several decades of evolution and transformation to create the gorgeous Punggol of today, where some of the most sought-after residences in Singapore are located. Most certainly the natural beauty and potential of the area helped it evolve so much, slowly but surely transforming the area into a modern waterfront residential city. If you are looking for a place to stay that has all the modern facilities needed for a comfortable life, while providing stunning natural views, it is worth taking Punggol into account.

Judging by some of the things you hear and read you would assume it is essential when looking to buy a property to get one in close proximity to an MRT station. But is this actually true? Yes, there are advantages to being within a quick stroll to the rail network, but it isn’t quite as black and white as that, and those properties that are considerably further away certainly should not be dismissed out of hand.

By 2030, the MRT network will have doubled in size, increasing to a total length of approximately 360km. By then, Forth-fifth of Singapore homes will be less than 10 minute stroll to the train station. That in itself changes the dynamic, meaning that having a property near a station no longer becomes the exception, but the norm, and the definition of “near” a station will also becoming altered, and the question will start to be “just how near?” And where does that leave the remaining 20% of homes?

Even before the opening of Changi Airport’s Terminal 4, all the talk and buzz is centred on Terminal 5. People have been talking about it for so long it already seems like a reality, though the design – or designers for that matter – has yet to be selected and it isn’t yet clear how the multi-billion dollar project will be paid for.

One Tree Hills Gardens is a Singapore Condo that was not built recently, its completion year being 1988, but it always managed to capture the attention of people that wanted to purchase a beautiful home. Located near large shopping centers, banks, schools, and others, and providing its inhabitants a set of great facilities, it is still a good catch. Perhaps this is why this particular condominium started this year’s collective sale market, being the first deal of this kind in 2017. The En Bloc market resurrected last year and it appears to be continuing to expand in 2017 as well, the One Tree Hills Gardens being a strong proof of this aspect.

The sight of public waste collectors driving up and down our streets may soon be a thing of the past, if a two pronged initiative for pneumatic waste conveyance systems (PWCS) is as successful as it is hoped it will be. The traditional method of rubbish disposal is far from perfect, especially in a country with a climate like Singapore, where the high temperatures means food and vegetable matter quickly becomes rotten, becoming a haven for rats and other vermin and pests, and creating a unpleasant environment.

When a person buys a new home, he or she pictures it perfect, almost dream-like. When you invest money into a brand new residential unit, these are the way things should be. But the home-owners of Austville Residence faced a big disappointment shortly after moving in into the modern executive condo. What caused their discontentment? First of all, these were defects caused by a faulty construction process all around the building, and there were amenities missing, in comparison with what the developer of this residential area promised to the people that were interested in buying a home here. A mediation process already started between the management company, which represents the voice and interests of the Austville residents, and the development companies that took care of the construction.

Choosing the type of kitchen countertop for your home not only has an impact on the look and feel of your kitchen, it also has a dramatic effect on the future value of the property. In this article we will look at the most popular types of kitchen countertops and examine the advantages and disadvantages of each.

One of the most popular and stylish choices, quartz countertops are actually engineered, unlike marble and granite ones. Quartz makes up approximately 93% of a quartz countertop, with the remaining 7% being binder and colour. Read more